Google honours ‘Princess of Pop’ Nazia Hasan with a doodle

LAHORE: Pakistan’s ‘Princess of Pop’ Nazia Hasan (late) still rules the hearts of millions, and to represent unflinching admiration of fans for the iconic singer, Google has honoured Hasan with a charming Doodle on her 53rd birthday.

In a statement, Google writes, “When young Pakistani girls in the 1980s closed their eyes and clutched a pretend mic in their hands, swaying and singing, a major inspiration was Nazia Hassan. Hassan, sometimes referred to as the “Princess of Pop”, was a sensation the likes of which hadn’t been seen in the region in years. Young and graceful, with long flowing hair, she charmed the country by belting out favourite songs Disco Deewane and Boom Boom alongside her brother Zoheb.”

She enjoyed widespread popularity across South and Southeast Asia and has been termed as the “Queen of Pop” in South Asia. She, along with her brother Zoheb Hassan, went on to sell over 65 million records worldwide. Her English language single Dreamer Deewane made her the first Pakistani singer to make it to the British charts.

It was at the tender of 15 when Nazia grabbed national and international headlines when she sang the sensational song ‘Aap Jesa Koi Meri Zindagi’ which was lip synced by Indian actress Zeenat Aman in the movie Qurban. For this song, she won the Filmfare award for Best Female Playback Singer, a feat which was one of a kind at that time for a Pakistani. Till this day, she holds the distinct record of being the youngest winner of a Filmfare award for Best Female Playback Singer.

‘Aap Jesa Koi’ propelled Nazia Hasan into one of the most sought after and loved musicians of South Asia. Whereas Pakistanis were proud of the young, frail girl who had broken records with a single chartbuster, neighboring India was instantly captivated by her voice too. The accolades, laurels and appreciation Nazia garnered as a result of her song were instrumental in paving the way for her debut album Disco Deewane.

Disco Deewane changed the whole concept of music and revolutionized it altogether. It was Nazia who introduced pop music into South Asia for the very first time and made it popular. Disco Deewane charted across 14 countries and broke several records upon release.Her brother Zohaib Hassan is definitely worth a mention since he was also very influential in Nazia’s music and also contributed on most of the songs from the album.

She received numerous national and international awards, and became the first Pakistani to win the Filmfare Award at the young age of 15 and remains the youngest recipient of the award to date.

Hassan was also a recipient of Pakistan’s highest civilian award, Pride of Performance.

Nazia passed away on August 13, 2000 at the vibrant age of 35 due to lung cancer. Just before her marriage, her husband tragically divorced her days before her death.

Nazia left behind a legacy that will always remain unmatched; shoes that will always remain unfilled. Her crooning, melodious voice gave us tremendous pop hits such as Dil Ki Lagi, Ajnabi, Zara Chehra To, Dum Dum Dee Dee, Boom Boom and Dosti.  Not only was she beautiful but academically sound as well. The educated artist held the degree of Business Administration and Economics from Richmond American University in London. She was a lawyer by education and this degree was an added plus. Nazia was the pioneer in Pakistan and even lives today in the hearts of millions. Through social video platforms, her catchy music and mesmerizing videos are there for all to see and admire.